Self Medicating on NDT: Hi all, I'm new here... - Thyroid UK

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Self Medicating on NDT

hashisis1 profile image
13 Replies

Hi all,

I'm new here, was wondering if anyone here is self Medicating on Natural Dessicated Thyroid?

I've been diagnosed with Hashimotos for near 13 years, mostly just on t4 thyroxine, teary had blood results in the normal

Range but even when they were I still had the symptoms of Hashi.

I want to take t3 but in Australia you can't unless you are a cancer patient or are intolerant to synthetic t4.

I purchase NDT from the USA recently and started taking half of a half grain for about 5 days, I developed a rash that I thought was the NDT (though now I'm not so sure) so I halved the dose, the rash eased then returned so I stopped taking the NDT but the rash has continued to fade and return and seems to be from eating cashew nuts!

Anyway, I want to start again on the NDT.

My Ffre T4 and T3 are below normal rang and TSHis high.

Just wondering if any of you have switched from synthetic and how you started taking NDT.

Ps I did tell my gp if ordered it and she didn't seem to bothered considering its banned here, she just told me I would need to be careful to not Over do the T4.

Any advise would be greatly appreciated

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hashisis1
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13 Replies
Heloise profile image
Heloise

Hi Hashi, I took Synthroid (T4) for six years in the U.S. because my doctor kept refusing the Armour that I preferred. I had a lot of muscle issues at the time. That was 15 years ago but you still need a prescription to get NDT here? Are you sure it is not from a bovine source?

I finally did find a GP to prescribe it. It was a definite improvement.

You don't say how much T4 you are taking but I think you can move NDT rather quickly up to a comparable dose. Some articles equate 100 mcgs. T4 to one grain of NDT but that may not be exact. Someone may have newer information.

Treepie profile image
Treepie in reply toHeloise

The book " Stop the Thyroid Madness" has useful instruction ,although you may have to convert the U.S. quantities . The website of the same name may help.

Clutter profile image
Clutter

Welcome to the forum, Hashisis1.

How much Levothyroxine are you taking? It will help us advise how much NDT you should start on.

hashisis1 profile image
hashisis1

Thanks for all your advice, I really appreciate it..

I'm on 150mcg four days a week and 200mcg for 3, bit different hey, but 150 was two low and 200 too high and 175 to fiddly with citing up pills!!

Heloise, excuse my ignorance but what is a bovine?

It says on the bottle prescription only but I guess that doesn't appy when buying from overseas.

My ferretin levels are good for the first time in a long time oh and thanks for the advice on multivitamins. I'll order the book STTM today .

Once again, thank you all lot

humanbean profile image
humanbean in reply tohashisis1

NDT is made from the thyroids of animals. Most NDT is porcine (made from pig thyroid). But occasionally you read about bovine NDT (made from cow thyroid) or sheep thyroid (but I think that is really old-fashioned).

Spareribs profile image
Spareribs in reply tohashisis1

Usually NDT is from a pig, bovine would be from a cow.

I've tried Armour and NatureThroid (both piggy).

Best start slowly with half grain some find the T3 in the NDT 'different' - some just substitute a grain for 75 mcg (although some say it's more like 100mcg as bioidentical).

Here''s a link to the STTM site

stopthethyroidmadness.com/m...

J :D

Lilian15 profile image
Lilian15

I have been taking NDT for the last 14 years.

I take NDT which I get from Thailand. No scrip required. PM me if you'd like the source as a second string to your bow. Quite a lot of people on the forum take NDT, of one sort of another.

Start small and build up your NDT dose. You'll need to drop your Levo a commensurate amount at the same time. Someone else has given you the equivalents of NDT to Levo. As you can see from that, it might be possible to (over time) substitute 2 grains of NDT for your 100/200 dosing with Levo.

Are youu intending to replace all your Levo with NDT? Or just some of the dose?

hashisis1 profile image
hashisis1 in reply to

Hi Humphrey, thanks for your reply, I hadn't thought about taking both, just assumed I'd replace the thyroxine entirely.

Are there benefit to both do you think?

in reply tohashisis1

Certainly for any NDT you add in you should reduce your Levo.

I haven't taken Levo for probably 4 years now, so I'm not a good person to ask about taking both. I expect there are people here who do (we are a very broad church!) and hopefully one of them will see your post. If not, start a thread with the question and someone certainly will.

Merlio18 profile image
Merlio18 in reply to

Hi can you just clarify what would be equivalent to 50/75 levo in NDT I am trying to find my dose so tried 1 grain and didn't feel enough and then 1 1/4 was quite fiddly to cut so trying 1.5 grain but not sure if to much

Caze profile image
Caze

Cd I ask why u advise tk take yr multi vit bfre bed? Any particular reason?

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministrator in reply toCaze

Please.. :-)

In order to be understood by most people, as far as possible, use correct spelling, grammar and avoid using slang and/or 'text speak'.

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